| Place | Europe: France |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ART28840 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Overall (sight): 13 cm x 20 cm |
| Object type | Work on paper |
| Physical description | pen and ink with crayon on paper |
| Maker |
Wilson, Eric |
| Place made | France |
| Date made | 1939 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Machine gun remains
Description
A sketch of a the ruins of a machine gun in front of the German Front Line at Beaumont Hamel in northern France.
After being awarded a Travelling Art scholarship in 1937, Eric Wilson studied in Europe for several years. In 1939, in the months preceding the beginning of the Second World War, he travelled to northern France and spent time in the Somme region. During the First World War, this region had been the site of the Battle of Mont St. Quentin, between the Australian 2nd Division and German forces, and was a strategic victory for Australia and the Allies. Many of Wilson's sketches from the area feature overgrown trenches, abandoned weapons and the Australian Memorial, there to commemorate the battles fought there.